און נאֶר איין לייב -- לבנהדלייב --
And only one lion — moon-lion —
Work 400 of 440
Page 467. Continuation of 'Oyfn hoykhn barg': one lion survives — 'levone-layb' (moon-lion — Hebrew 'levanah'). Rises 'fun unter di pgeyrim' (from under the corpses — Hebrew 'pgarim'). Shakes his back, 'grive tsevit' (mane spread) in 'vayse, zilberne keltn' (white, silver cold). Opens mouth 'in gantsir breyt' (in full width), 'brilt iber khruve veltn' (roars over ruined worlds — Hebrew 'churban'). New poem 'Nevermore' (English title in original): spreads evening, night. 'Ikh hob lib a mentshn vos iz i var, i oysgetrakht' (I love a person who is both real and imagined). Midnight hours keep 'vakh' (watch). In 'vartung' (waiting) closes 'ongeshtreyngtn oyg' (strained eye). Opens at 'baginer-sheh' (dawn-hour). Loves person who 'faran un nito' (exists and doesn't exist). Through long nights — sudden 'shrek' (fright), hear 'klap' (knock) 'nit-geshtogn nit-gefloygh' (from nowhere — idiom). Run, open — 'puste tir' (empty door). Return 'mit emetsns an emesn barir' (with someone's true touch). Echo of Poe's 'Raven'.
און נאֶר איין לייב -- לבנהדלייב --
ראַטעוועט זיך פון פאַרצוקונג,
ער גיט זיך פון אונטער די פגרים אַ הייבי
שויבערט פונאַנדער זייץ רוק
ער שטעלט זיך אַוועַק --- די גריווע צעוויש
אין ווייסע, אין זילבערנע קעלטן
עפנט אַ מויל אין זיין גאַנצער ברייט,
און ברילט איבער חרובע וועלטן.
נעווערמאַר
()פרייט זיך, +זוונט,
שפרייט זיך. נאַכט,
איך האָב ליב אַ מענטשן
וואָס איז אי וואַר, אי אויסגעטראַכט.
די מיט-נאָכט שעה'ן
זיי האַלטן וואַך,
וועז איך אין וואַרטונג
מיין אָנגעשטרענגטן אויג פּאַרמאַך.
און עפן ווידער
אין באַגינעורשעה :
איך האָב ליב אַ מענטשן
ואַס איז פאַראַן און איז ניטאָ.
צי איז אַ נייס. דען
אא מון זאך --
דורך נעכט. דורך 5-אַנגע,
דורך לאַנגע נעכט צו האַלטן וואַך 1
צו טאָן זיך פלוצלונג
מיט שרעק א כאַפ,
אין טיר דערהערן
אַ ניטדגעשטויגן ניט-געפלויגן קלאַפ 1
דו ללויפסט, דו עפנסט. --
אַ פוסטע טיר.
און קערסט צוריק זיךד --
מיט עמעצנס אַן אמתן באַריר.
13
Un nor eyn layb — levone-layb —
ratevet zikh fun fartsukung,
er git zikh fun unter di pgeyrim a heyb,
shoybrt funander zayn rukn.
Er shtelt zikh avek — di grive tsevit
in vayse, in zilberne keltn,
efnt a moyl in zayn gantser breyt,
un brilt iber khruve veltn.
Nevermore
Shpreyt zikh, ovnt,
shpreyt zikh, nakht,
ikh hob lib a mentshn
vos iz i var, i oysgetrakht.
Di mit-nokht sheh'n
zey haltn vakh,
ven ikh in vartung
mayn ongeshtreyngtn oyg farmakh.
Un efn vider
in baginer-sheh;
ikh hob lib a mentshn
vos iz faran un iz nito.
Tsi iz a nays den
an azoy zakh, —
durkh nekht, durkh lange,
durkh lange nekht tsu haltn vakh?
Tsu ton zikh plutslung
mit shrek a khap,
in tir derhern
a nit-geshtogn nit-gefloygh klap?
Du loyfst, du efnst. —
a puste tir.
un kerst tsurik zikh —
mit emetsns an emesn barir.
And only one lion — moon-lion —
saves himself from convulsion,
he lifts himself from under the corpses,
shakes apart his back.
He positions himself — the mane spread
in white, in silver cold,
opens a mouth in its full width,
and roars over ruined worlds.
Nevermore
Spread yourself, evening,
spread yourself, night,
I love a person
who is both real and imagined.
The midnight hours
they keep watch,
when I in waiting
close my strained eye.
And open again
at the dawn-hour;
I love a person
who exists and doesn't exist.
Is it news then
such a thing, —
through nights, through long,
through long nights to keep watch?
To suddenly feel
a shock of fright,
to hear in the door
a knock from nowhere?
You run, you open. —
an empty door.
and you return —
with someone's true touch.
Page 467. Continuation of 'Oyfn hoykhn barg': one lion survives — 'levone-layb' (moon-lion — Hebrew 'levanah'). Rises 'fun unter di pgeyrim' (from under the corpses — Hebrew 'pgarim'). Shakes his back, 'grive tsevit' (mane spread) in 'vayse, zilberne keltn' (white, silver cold). Opens mouth 'in gantsir breyt' (in full width), 'brilt iber khruve veltn' (roars over ruined worlds — Hebrew 'churban'). New poem 'Nevermore' (English title in original): spreads evening, night. 'Ikh hob lib a mentshn vos iz i var, i oysgetrakht' (I love a person who is both real and imagined). Midnight hours keep 'vakh' (watch). In 'vartung' (waiting) closes 'ongeshtreyngtn oyg' (strained eye). Opens at 'baginer-sheh' (dawn-hour). Loves person who 'faran un nito' (exists and doesn't exist). Through long nights — sudden 'shrek' (fright), hear 'klap' (knock) 'nit-geshtogn nit-gefloygh' (from nowhere — idiom). Run, open — 'puste tir' (empty door). Return 'mit emetsns an emesn barir' (with someone's true touch). Echo of Poe's 'Raven'.
← / → previous & next poem·1–4 toggle columns·hover a line to align all versions